Artist profile: Luverne Seifert, performer

May 27, 5:25 PMMinneapolis Theater ExaminerZach Curtis

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   Luverne Seifert as Philip K. Dick

"Everyone knows how funny Luverne is, how smart, how physically and emotionally fearless."  --  Local playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher, naming Seifert as a City Pages Artist of the Year.

How long have you been working in the Twin Cities?

25 years. I'm so grateful, but damn that's a long time.

What might we have just seen you in?

Raskol with Ten Thousand Things Theatre, and The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe with Children's Theatre Company.

Tell us a bit about your current show and the role you play:

I play Phillip K Dick in the play 800 Words, based on his life. He is a science fiction writer who is best known for having his book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, turned into a motion picture (Blade Runner).

What drew you to this current production?

Three things:

1) Tory Stewart created a beautiful script that captured the life of this man.
2) A chance to work with and support the company Workhaus Collective.
3) The opportunity to take on this demanding and fascinating role.

What's been the most difficult part of getting inside the head of Philip Dick?

My goal was not to "get inside the head" of Phillip K. Dick, but rather to create a character who shared the same experiences. I think Mr. Dick had a heightened reaction to possibilities that we have all questioned; is there a god? Is it trying to communicate with us? Are there other worlds? Are we part of another reality? What is reality? Perhaps future generations we will discover that Mr. Dick really did have it all figured out.

What's your favorite part of this rehearsal process?

I really enjoy the atmosphere of the Workhaus Collective. Great people with a strong mission.

Do you have any sort of pre-show routine?

No, but I try to stay relaxed and have fun.

What’s the weirdest / funniest / most awful thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?

It was fun to have the lights go out on the Guthrie Stage during The Government Inspector. In the dark, the audience and performers become one. However, when you work with Ten Thousand Things Theatre Company you have a list a mile long. You learn to expect the unexpected.

What is it that excites you about Twin Cities theater?

The diversity of performance. There are so many groups building their artistry on a shoe-string budget. I get exhausted just thinking about the sacrifices that artists are making to keep their organizations alive. I am SO grateful to be living in a city that has patrons who value and support the arts.

What’s up next for you after this show?

A summertime of family love. I feel I have abandoned my wife and boys and I deeply need to reconnect with them. Life is too short. In the fall I'll do Othello with TTT and work on an original creation with Michael Sommers at the U of M called Tent.